1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a turntable or lazy susan-type appliance which provides a modular system for dispensing food and attendant fixings such as toppings, nuts and the like and which presents an aesthetic accompaniment to any party or celebration.
2. Description of the Related Art
While the use of lazy susans or rotatable trays themselves are relatively known in the art and have been used for long periods of time, particularly in Chinese restaurants, as far as known none have been associated with a various food, including a yogurt, ice cream, etc. food server. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,055 B1, of which the current inventor is a co-inventor therein, describes a turntable cooking and serving appliance, none of the known prior art discloses or teaches a modular system for serving food and attendant toppings, syrups or the like that acts as an accompaniment to the food.
The problem with serving cooled foods at party functions or circumstances where there are a plurality of people has always been to be able to maintain the food, especially if a frozen confection, in a servable condition in proximity to the toppings and the fixings that would go along with it. The prior art, as far as known, has never combined a modular system, exposed to the ambient, that would enable ice cream to be served and held at an adequate temperature for some period of time to allow service therefrom of ice cream, for example, and the attendant toppings that would go along with it and still allow for easy clean-up after the service has been completed.
It is an object of the invention to provide a relatively low maintenance, easily manufactured turntable-type modular assemblage for the keeping and dispensing of confections such as ice cream, frozen yogurt, etc., and party fixings that would normally be associated for serving, for example, with ice cream.
It is another important object of the invention to provide a modular assemblage of economic construction that lends itself to be utilized at gatherings comprising parties and celebrations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a modular turntable device that is capable of holding and maintaining cooled foods at appropriate temperatures and allows for the easy dispensing thereof along with associated accompaniments.
It is still another important object of the invention to provide an easily constructed, easily cleanable confection dispensing assembly which is easy to use and provides for easy clean-up after use.
It is still another important specific object of the invention to provide an insulated frozen confection holder that may be stored in the freezer after which the same may be removed therefrom and into which a frozen confection container may be placed and by reason of the insulated material maintains the frozen confection for a time period to allow serving thereof at ambient temperatures and wherein the frozen confection container is associated with a plurality and array of containers from which accompaniments such as toppings and fixings and the like may be dispensed.
It is still a more important, specific object of the invention to provide an ice cream container holder which is capable of acting as a cooling device and wherein it is modularly assembled into a serving assembly which is easy to use, easy to clean up and allows for use by a plurality of individuals regardless of where the assembly is placed.
In its most basic form, the invention is directed to frozen confection keeping and serving devices comprising a base, an insulating container mounted on the base wherein the insulating container includes a cooling means which most generally takes the form of a gel or other substance that is capable of being frozen so as to keep the frozen confection therein at appropriate temperatures, and wherein an annular compartment surrounds the insulating container and is located adjacent to the insulating-container and further has a ring mounted within the annular compartment so as to better stabilize and hold a frozen confection carton of the usual gallon type in a secure relationship within the insulating container and which further includes a bearing assembly located between the ring and the annular compartment, with the ring being freely rotatable relative to the base section and the insulating container, much like a lazy susan of the ubiquitous-type provides. A plurality of trays or containers are located within the annular compartment resting on the ring and are rotatable therewith with each of the trays or containers being adapted to contain accompaniments such as, for example, ice cream fixings or toppings.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the hereinafter following commentary taken in conjunction with the drawings.